Scheer must make First Nations a priority
Indigenous issues didn’t play a large part in the recent federal Conservative leadership race. They were mentioned, but took a back seat to other matters. But Conservatives must understand that Indigenous issues are of vital concern to all Canadians.
New Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer must develop policies that advance Indigenous people and communities. Closing the gap between Indigenous people and other Canadians is a moral and political necessity.
Policies coming out of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada should no longer be about managing poverty. They should be about ending it.
But in establishing policy options as the leader of the Opposition, Scheer must remember that transparency is a magnet for investment. So the Tories must pledge, if they want to become the government after the next election in 2019, to enforce the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which the current Liberal government seems to have abandoned.
Next, Scheer must lead his party toward helping Indigenous communities generate their own wealth and infrastructure. Broader taxation will help finance Indigenous governments and, more importantly, will make officials more accountable to the people.
A Conservative government must also work with financial institutions to help bands access commercial loans on their own assets. The Harper government went further than previous governments in recognizing how land ownership on reserves prevented First Nations from accessing capital. And the Conservative promise to introduce a First Nations Property Ownership Act was never honoured. Sheer needs to introduce this bill in the House.
Scheer needs to be clear that the Conservatives have a duty to consult with Indigenous peoples, but that they will reject the First Nations’ presumed right to veto important national projects. No national government should allow band leadership to hijack resource projects that could elevate the local population and the nation.
In many situations, equity partnerships would be the norm for First Nations. Often, they’re risking their territories so they deserve partnership, not minimal benefits. They are rights-bearing communities in the Constitution.
Scheer must also pledge to continue the work on Indigenous education begun by Harper. High school dropout rates hamper First Nations’ economic and social development. Band members must be fully trained for the jobs created on their territories.
Requiring “prior and informed consent” from Aboriginal groups for projects that are in Canada’s best interest is destabilizing — it gives Indigenous groups too much power. Our courts have clearly ruled on the duty to consult. It’s about balancing various interests, not about granting veto power. Scheer needs to promise Indigenous communities that they will be partners in development, but that they aren’t in charge.
Following this blueprint would allow the Conservatives, as government, to improve the lives of on-reserve First Nation people. That’s in the national interest.